family concepts

Family Concepts
Family Concepts is a program of the Sunburst Community Service Foundation, a
Montana non-profit agency operating under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue
Code.

Family Concepts is a life-line between children in foster care and their birth families.
Utilizing a staff of compassionate and dedicated individuals, Family Concepts provides
an array of services to prevent child abuse and neglect as well as assist families in
re-unification efforts and permanency planning.

Family Concepts currently operates in the Montana counties of Flathead, Lake,
Sanders, Missoula and Ravalli. In Lincoln County, the program operates under the
name of Families in Partnership.

Primary funding for Family Concepts comes from grants and contracts with the
Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS). However, any
information contained on this website does not necessarily reflect the opinion of
DPHHS.

Family Concepts nurtures positive parenting in a physically safe and emotionally
healthy environment. We strengthen families by utilizing professional training,
education, and community resources to achieve and maintain permanent, loving
homes for children.

Family Concepts began in October of 1999. A small group of foster parents saw the
need for an array of services to help birth parents achieve the skills necessary for
re-unification with their children. Parenting classes and supervised visitation were the
initial services offered. In the fall of 2001, the Sunburst Foundation began
subcontracting with Family Concepts and in 2003, the agencies decided to join forces
under the Sunburst Foundation.

Starting with a staff of three, the Family Concepts program in Kalispell has steadily
grown. In 2006 a staff of 8 served over 70 children and their families. Services added
to the agency in the last several years include Family Group Decision Making, in-home
visitation to preserve families, adoption support services, and individual parent
coaching.

In the Fall of 2005, Family Concepts underwent a major expansion when it established
programs in three additional Montana counties: Lake, Missoula, and Ravalli. And in
2006 programs were started up in the communities of Libby and Thompson Falls.

More information on the Family Concepts program can be found at
http://familyconceptsmt.org.